Information recording medium, information recording and/or reproducing apparatus and method, program storage device and computer data signal embodied in carrier wave for controlling record or reproduction, and data structure including control signal

1. An information recording medium on which an entire stream including a plurality of portion streams, each of which comprises picture information or audio information constituting a series of content, is multiplexed-and-recorded by a unit of packet, which is a physically accessible unit, comprising: an object data file for storing object data, which is a logically accessible unit and is constructed by a plurality of packets, each of which stores therein a segment of the picture information or the audio information; a reproduction sequence information file for storing reproduction sequence information which defines a reproduction sequence of the object data stored in said object data file; and an object information file for storing, as reproduction control information for controlling a reproduction of said object data file, (i) correspondence definition information which defines a correspondence relationship between identification data and address information on the information recording medium of each packet, the identification data including a program number for specifying certain one of the plurality of portion streams which are comprised of a plurality of packets multiplexed on a time axis, each correspondence relationship being given a unique index among the entire stream, and (ii) related group definition information which defines, as a related group comprised of certain indexes of the correspondence definition information, a group comprised of certain portion streams having a specific relation from among a plurality of series of contents constituting the plurality of portion streams.

2. The information recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein said object information file further stores, as the reproduction control information, sub group definition information which defines as a sub group a group of the plurality of portion streams mutually changeable by an information reproduction apparatus in the related group.

3. The information recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the related group definition information defines such that a same content may commonly belong to two or more groups, each of which is defined as the related group.

4. The information recording medium according to claim 2 , wherein the sub group definition information defines such that a same portion stream may commonly belong to two or more groups, each of which is defined as the sub group.

5. The information recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the entire stream includes two or more portion streams each constructed by main picture information which is the series of content as the picture information.

6. The information recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the entire stream includes (i) the portion stream constructed by main picture information which is the series of content as the picture information and (ii) the portion stream constructed by sub picture information which is the series of content as the picture information.

7. The information recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the entire stream comprises at least one portion of a transport stream of MPEG 2 and the related group definition information defines as the related group a group having a multi broadcasting relationship from among the plurality of series of contents.

8. The information recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the related group definition information includes what defines as the related group the plurality of series of contents corresponding to one show constructed by a plurality of programs.

9. The information recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the related group definition information includes what defines as the related group the plurality of series of contents corresponding to one show constructed by one program.

10. An information recording apparatus for multiplexing and recording an entire stream by a unit of packet which is a physically accessible unit onto an information recording medium, said entire stream including a plurality of portion streams each of which comprises picture information or audio information constituting a series of content, said apparatus comprising: a first recording device for recording an object data file, said object data file storing object data, which is a logically accessible unit and is constructed by a plurality of packets, each of which stores therein a segment of the picture information or the audio information; a second recording device for recording a reproduction sequence information file, said reproduction sequence information file storing reproduction sequence information which defines a reproduction sequence of the object data stored in said object data file; and a third recording device for recording an object information file, said object information file storing, as reproduction control information for controlling a reproduction of said object data file, (i) correspondence definition information which defines a correspondence relationship between identification data and address information on the information recording medium of each packet, the identification data including a program number for specifying certain one of the plurality of portion streams which are comprised of a plurality of packets multiplexed on a time axis, each correspondence relationship being given a unique index among the entire stream, and (ii) related group definition information which defines, as a related group comprised of certain indexes of the correspondence definition information, a group comprised of certain portion streams having a specific relation from among a plurality of series of contents constituting the plurality of portion streams.

11. The information recording apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein a plurality of the packets multiplexed on a time axis include a first packet and a plurality of second packets, the first packet having the predetermined identification data and a first table which stores the identification data of the second packets, each of the second packets having a second table which stores the identification data of certain packets multiplexed on a time axis, whose program numbers are the same as of each second packets, and the third recording device derives the object information file which stores the reproduction control information from the first table and the second tables, and records the object information file without packetizing nor multiplexing.

12. An information recording method of multiplexing and recording an entire stream by a unit of packet which is a physically accessible unit onto an information recording medium, said entire stream including a plurality of portion streams each of which comprises picture information or audio information constituting a series of content, said method comprising: a first recording process of recording an object data file, said object data file storing object data, which is a logically accessible unit and is constructed by a plurality of packets, each of which stores therein a segment of the picture information or the audio information; a second recording process of recording a reproduction sequence information file, said reproduction sequence information file storing reproduction sequence information which defines a reproduction sequence of the object data stored in said object data file; and a third recording process of recording an object information file, said object information file storing, as reproduction control information for controlling a reproduction of said object data file, (i) correspondence definition information which defines a correspondence relationship between identification data and address information on the information recording medium of each packet, the identification data including a program number for specifying certain one of the plurality of portion streams which are comprised of a plurality of packets multiplexed on a time axis, each correspondence relationship being given a unique index among the entire steam, and (ii) related group definition information which defines, as a related group comprised of certain indexes of the correspondence definition information, a group comprised of certain portion streams having a specific relation from among a plurality of series of contents constituting the plurality of portion streams.

13. The information recording method according to claim 12 , wherein a plurality of the packets multiplexed on a time axis include a first packet and a plurality of second packets, the first packet having the predetermined identification data and a first table which stores the identification data of the second packets, each of the second packets having a second table which stores the identification data of certain packets multiplexed on a time axis, whose program numbers are the same as of each second packets, and the third recording device derives the object information file which stores the reproduction control information from the first table and the second tables, and records the object information file without packetizing nor multiplexing.

14. An information reproducing apparatus for reproducing information recorded on an information recording medium on which an entire stream including a plurality of portion streams, each of which comprises picture information or audio information constituting a series of content, is multiplexed-and-recorded by a unit of packet, which is a physically accessible unit, the information recording medium comprising: an object data file for storing object data, which is a logically accessible unit and is constructed by a plurality of packets, each of which stores therein a segment of the picture information or the audio information; a reproduction sequence information file for storing reproduction sequence information which defines a reproduction sequence of the object data stored in said object data file; and an object information file for storing, as reproduction control information for controlling a reproduction of said object data file, (i) correspondence definition information which defines a correspondence relationship between identification data and address information on the information recording medium of each packet, the identification data including a program number for specifying certain one of the plurality of portion streams which are comprised of a plurality of packets multiplexed on a time axis, each correspondence relationship being given a unique index among the entire stream, and (ii) related group definition information which defines, as a related group comprised of certain indexes of the correspondence definition information, a group comprised of certain portion streams having a specific relation from among a plurality of series of contents constituting the plurality of portion streams, said information reproducing apparatus comprising: a reading device for physically reading the information from the information recording medium; and a reproducing device for reproducing the object data included in the information read by said reading device, on the basis of the reproduction control information and the reproduction sequence information included in the information read by said reading device.

15. An information reproducing method of reproducing information recorded on an information recording medium on which an entire stream including a plurality of portion streams, each of which comprises picture information or audio information constituting a series of content, is multiplexed-and-recorded by a unit of packet, which is a physically accessible unit, the information recording medium comprising: an object data file for storing object data, which is a logically accessible unit and is constructed by a plurality of packets, each of which stores therein a segment of the picture information or the audio information; a reproduction sequence information file for storing reproduction sequence information which defines a reproduction sequence of the object data stored in said object data file; and an object information file for storing, as reproduction control information for controlling a reproduction of said object data file, (i) correspondence definition information which defines a correspondence relationship between identification data and address information on the information recording medium of each packet, the identification data including a program number for specifying certain one of the plurality of portion streams which are comprised of a plurality of packets multiplexed on a time axis, each correspondence relationship being given a unique index among the entire stream, and (ii) related group definition information which defines, as a related group comprised of certain indexes of the correspondence definition information, a group comprised of certain portion streams having a specific relation from among a plurality of series of contents constituting the plurality of portion streams, said information reproducing method comprising: a reading process of physically reading the information from the information recording medium; and a reproducing process of reproducing the object data included in the information read by said reading process, on the basis of the reproduction control information and the reproduction sequence information included in the information read by said reading process.

16. An information recording and reproducing apparatus for multiplexing and recording an entire stream by a unit of packet which is a physically accessible unit onto an information recording medium, said entire stream including a plurality of portion streams each of which comprises picture information or audio information constituting a series of content, and for reproducing information recorded on the information recording medium, the information recording medium comprising: an object data file for storing object data, which is a logically accessible unit and is constructed by a plurality of packets, each of which stores therein a segment of the picture information or the audio information; a reproduction sequence information file for storing reproduction sequence information which defines a reproduction sequence of the object data stored in said object data file; and an object information file for storing, as reproduction control information for controlling a reproduction of said object data file, (i) correspondence definition information which defines a correspondence relationship between identification data and address information on the information recording medium of each packet, the identification data including a program number for specifying certain one of the plurality of portion streams which are comprised of a plurality of packets multiplexed on a time axis, each correspondence relationship being given a unique index among the entire stream, and (ii) related group definition information which defines, as a related group comprised of certain indexes of the correspondence definition information, a group comprised of certain portion streams having a specific relation from among a plurality of series of contents constituting the plurality of portion streams, said information recording and reproducing apparatus comprising: a first recording device for recording the object data file onto the information recording medium; a second recording device for recording the reproduction sequence information file onto the information recording medium; a third recording device for recording the object information file onto the information recording medium; a reading device for physically reading the information from the information recording medium; and a reproducing device for reproducing the object data included in the information read by said reading device, on the basis of the reproduction control information and the reproduction sequence information included in the information read by said reading device.

17. An information recording and reproducing method of multiplexing and recording an entire stream by a unit of packet which is a physically accessible unit onto an information recording medium, said entire stream including a plurality of portion streams each of which comprises picture information or audio information constituting a series of content, and of reproducing information recorded on the information recording medium, the information recording medium comprising: an object data file for storing object data, which is a logically accessible unit and is constructed by a plurality of packets, each of which stores therein a segment of the picture information or the audio information; a reproduction sequence information file for storing reproduction sequence information which defines a reproduction sequence of the object data stored in said object data file; and an object information file for storing, as reproduction control information for controlling a reproduction of said object data file, (i) correspondence definition information which defining correspondence relationship between identification data and address information on the information recording medium of each packet, the identification data including a program number for specifying certain one of the plurality of portion streams which are comprised of a plurality of packets multiplexed on a time axis, each correspondence relationship being given a unique index among the entire stream, and (ii) related group definition information which defines, as a related group comprised of certain indexes of the correspondence definition information, a group comprised of certain portion streams having a specific relation from among a plurality of series of contents constituting the plurality of portion streams, said information recording and reproducing method comprising: a first recording process of recording the object data file onto the information recording medium; a second recording process of recording the reproduction sequence information file onto the information recording medium; a third recording process of recording the object information file onto the information recording medium; a reading process of physically reading the information from the information recording medium; and a reproducing process of reproducing the object data included in the information read by said reading process, on the basis of the reproduction control information and the reproduction sequence information included in the information read by said reading process.

18. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method processes of multiplexing and recording an entire stream by a unit of packet which is a physically accessible unit onto an information recording medium, said entire stream including a plurality of portion streams each of which comprises picture information or audio information constituting a series of content, said method processes comprising: a first recording process of recording an object data file, said object data file storing object data, which is a logically accessible unit and is constructed by a plurality of packets, each of which stores therein a segment of the picture information or the audio information; a second recording process of recording a reproduction sequence information file, said reproduction sequence information file storing reproduction sequence information which defines a reproduction sequence of the object data stored in said object data file; and a third recording process of recording an object information file, said object information file storing, as reproduction control information for controlling a reproduction of said object data file, (i) correspondence definition information which defines a correspondence relationship between identification data and address information on the information recording medium of each packet, the identification data including a program number for specifying certain one of the plurality of portion streams which are comprised of a plurality of packets multiplexed on a time axis, each correspondence relationship being given a unique index among the entire streams, and (ii) related group definition information which defines, as a related group comprised of certain indexes of the correspondence definition information, a group comprised of certain portion streams having a specific relation from among a plurality of series of contents constituting the plurality of portion streams.